Undocumented students will be eligible for in-state tuition at Wayne State University this January, providing they attended and graduated from a Michigan high school. / Detroit Free Press

Written by

Detroit Free Press Education Writer

Undocumented students will be eligible for in-state tuition at Wayne State University in January, providing they attended and graduated from a Michigan high school.

The policy, approved by Wayne State’s board last week, changes rules regarding residency questions in terms of tuition. WSU joins the University of Michigan in making changes to grant undocumented students in-state tuition.

Getting in-state tuition is a big deal — it’s about $13,000 less per year to pay in-state tuition versus out-of-state tuition. In-state tuition for an average student is $11,967.

“We are a university of access and opportunity,” Wayne State Provost Margaret Winters told the Free Press in a telephone interview. “We think this is another piece of making sure that continues.”

The new rules set up a three-prong test for being eligible for in-state tuition. The student must:

■ Be a Michigan resident.

■ Be an active-duty military member or veteran, no matter where your residency is.

■ Graduate from a Michigan high school after attending for three years, or get a Michigan GED. This eligibility extends for 28 months following graduation.

The last category will allow those students who were in the country without documentation but attended Michigan high schools to get the cheaper rate. It also means that a student who went out-of-state for work or to go to another school following graduating from a Michigan high school can come back within 28 months and get the lower tuition rate.

“There has been a lot of conversation nationally and regionally about this topic,” Winters said. “After U-M made their changes, the administration was approached about making a similar change. It’s simply time to make it. It’s the right thing to do.”

WSU junior Michael Mansfield, 21, of Livonia, said he likes the new rule.

“If someone has been living in Michigan, they should be able to get the lower rate,” he said in a telephone interview. “It wasn’t their decision to come here if they came as kids, so why should they be punished for it?”

U-M made its change in July after months of pressure from students.

Its criteria say students qualify for in-state tuition if they attend a Michigan middle school for two years and a Michigan high school for at least three years before graduating, as long as they start their U-M education within 28 months of graduation.

Western Michigan University offers in-state tuition rates with proof that the prospective student lives in Michigan. Saginaw Valley State University allows its president to approve waivers and permit migrant workers’ children to pay in-state tuition.

The issue has been highly political.

Democrats, including President Barack Obama, pushed for the passage of the DREAM Act, which would offer permanent resident status to undocumented high school graduates who enlist in the military or attend college. Many Republicans argue that students who are in the U.S. illegally shouldn’t get the same perks as U.S. citizens.